


Born Yesterday

by TheMockingJ3



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, In which Hershel Layton adopts every lost child he encounters, Janice Quatlane & Nina (Mentioned), Janice Quatlane (Mentioned) - Freeform, Nina's parents (Mentioned), Oswald Whistler (Mentioned) - Freeform, That scene from ED from Nina's perspective, identity crisis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:47:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24182344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMockingJ3/pseuds/TheMockingJ3
Summary: “I was… I was reborn… I was ill… I died and I… I…”
Relationships: Hershel Layton & Nina, Melina Whistler & Nina, Mr Whistler & Nina
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	Born Yesterday

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers: For Eternal Diva
> 
> Warnings: Kidnapping, Nina's identity crisis

_“You!”_ She stamped her foot and scowled at the professor. She knew it was childish, but wasn’t she a child?

 _Argh—_ she felt so confused!

This was the _professor’s_ fault. Janice should never have invited him. 

“You mustn’t interfere!” She whirled away from him and ran towards the door.

He had already seen the photos of her— of when she was younger and older. Now he was going to tell everyone the horrible truth!

Just as she grabbed the door handle, she heard four slow notes on the piano. She froze.

The professor played the first verse of _A Song of the Sea_ , just as she had hummed it earlier on the beach _._ Had he been… listening to her?

Would he _listen?_

She crept up behind him, but still kept her distance. He continued playing the piano, gently. It wasn’t like her father— Mr Whistler— who played as if someone’s life depended on it.

When he was finished, the professor looked at her and asked softly, “How long have you been living here?”

“I was… I was very ill.” She edged closer to him. “My father brought me here…” How long ago was that? Was it days, weeks or months? “H-he thought the air would be good for me. That’s why I’m so much better!”

She _was_ better. Why couldn’t she be happy?

There was a photo of her and Janice on the piano. The professor studied it for a moment, before turning to her.

“‘Better’? Why would you be _better?_ You told Janice you had been reborn, with the gift of eternal life.”

She _had_ told Janice that the other day at the cafe. Janice must have told the professor.

It wasn’t a lie— she really _had_ died in this very room, but then she came back as a young girl.

“I was… I was _reborn…”_

That didn’t make sense, though. Shouldn’t she have been reborn as a _baby?_

She had asked Mr Whistler— _Father—_ about it, but he had gotten angry and worried. He had told her to say she was _better._

“I was ill… I died and I… _I…”_

Those words weren’t her own. She clutched her head as the voice inside started _screaming._

_“I didn’t die! He’s not my daddy!”_

She stumbled back. “Father brought me here,” she insisted.

 _“He didn’t_ —“

_“Quiet— he’ll find out!”_

She _wanted_ the professor to find out. She wanted to get far away from Mr Whistler.

Shaking her head, she shushed the voice and covered her mouth.

“Melina,” the professor said with concern.

“I’m not _Melina!”_ she burst out.

The voice disagreed, _“Yes, I am!”_

 _“_ No! I want to go home! _Stop it! Stop it!”_

After a pause, the professor said, “Of course…”

Did he… understand?

The voice went quiet for a moment. She took a shaky, tearful breath and looked at him.

Slowly, he said, “Please can you tell me your name?”

 _“Nina,”_ Nina gasped. “Nina, um…” She had thought her last name started with a ‘W’, but now she wasn’t so sure.

 _“Whistler,”_ the voice whispered, getting fainter.

“Nina…” The professor nodded. (When he said it, Nina knew it was true.) “You said Mr Whistler _isn’t_ your father. Do you know where your parents are?”

Nina bit her lip. Mr Whistler had said he’d ‘adopted’ her, but that would mean her parents were gone.

Nina tried to picture her dad. A man with short curly brown hair appeared in Mr Whistler’s place. As for her mum… She had blonde hair and blue eyes like Nina. 

_Hadn’t her mother died when she was little?_

“My mum and dad… I can remember them, but I can’t remember _where_ they are,” Nina panicked.

If they were dead or they didn’t want her, would she have to stay with Mr Whistler?

Nina started to cry again. “What if I can’t find them?”

“Don’t worry…” The professor knelt in front of her. His top hat was still taller than her, but she was able to see into his eyes.

Why had she been so scared of him before?

“M-Mr Whistler said I’m an _orphan_ ,” she whimpered. “What if he’s _right?_ ”

“If he is…” The professor hesitated for a moment. Then he offered her his hand. “You’ll still have Janice, Luke, myself and…” His eyes widened. Urgency filled his voice. “Come now, we must find everyone.”

Nina took his hand. 


End file.
